Apparatus for filling bottles, tins, or other containers



April 10, 1928. 1,665,948

H. F. BROADHURST APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES, TINS, OR OTHER CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 23, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l firms mvs. W 1

April 10, 1928. 1,665,948

, H. F. BROADHURST- APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES, TINS, OR OTHER CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 23, 1927 5 Sheets-$heet 5 April 10, 1928. 1,665,948

H. F. BROADHURST APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES, TINS, OR OTHER CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 23, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 10, 1928.

' H. F. BROADHURST APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES, TINS, OR OTHER CONTAINERS Filed Auz. 23. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 10, 192 8.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES, TINS OR OTHER CONTAINERS.

Application filed August 23, 1927, Serial No. 214,894, and in Great Britain March 12, 192 6.

ther entry of the liquid is prevented.

Any liquid in the tubes, which otherwisewould fall into the container when the vacuum is broken, is drawn back and trapped.

The present invention has for its object certain improvements according to which the emptying'of the interceptor or overflow receptacle is unobstructed and efi'ected by gravity alone while the said receptacle is under a partial vacuum.

In order that the invention may be the better understood drawings are appended in which z-- Fig. 1 is an elevation of a machine ac cording to the present invention. F-Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2,

Fig. 2 is a plan of a detail.

Fig. 3 is a plan. 7 I

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 -5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section of the filling head.

Fig. 7 is a plan of part of said head.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing a machine designed to be. actuated by foot power.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates a circular pedestal or base hav ing a downwardly extending centrally disposed hollow boss 2, in which is revolubly mounted a sleeve 3 to which is secured a circular table 4. Secured to the lower end of the sleeve 3 is a worm wh'eel 5 engagmga worm 6, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, said worm 6 being carried by a shaft 7 receiving motion from any suitable source of power, and supported in bearings.8, 9 carried by beams 10, 11 supporting the base 1.

'12 indicates an annular member disposed within a. recess 13 provided at the upper end of the pedestal, said annular member being held against rotation by means of pins 14 engaging holes formed to receive them in the bottom of the recess 13, said pins also entering holes in the annular member 12.

Springs 15 interposed between theupper surface of the recess 13 and the under surface of the body 12 serve to press the said body tightlyl against a surface 16 uponthe central boss 17 of the rotary table. An annular recess or channel is provided upon the-upper surface of the body 12 with which communicate ports or passages 18, to which are connected pipes 19 leading to the lower ends of cylinders 20 carried by the aforesaid table 4. Disposed within the cylinders 20 are pistons 21 connected to rods 22 passing through table 4, and having at their upper ends supports 23 designed to receive the bottle 9 and'presentit to the filling heads :0,

to be hereafter more fully described. 24 indicates apin attached at its upper end to the support 23 and passing through the table' 4,said rod serving as a. guide for the support 23.

The annular recess 100 (Fig. 2) comprises two separate portions, a short portion 101 and a long portion 102, the latter communicating through an inlet 103 with a source of compressed air, whereb when the duct 18 communicates with said long portion compressed air is admitted to thecylinder 20 to raise the bottle for filling. Theshort portion 101 is provided with an exhaust port 104 to the atmosphere, with which the duct 18 communicates for releasing the air after the bottle has been filled p to permit the bottle to descend and the filled Mounted upon the table 4 by means of I the vertically disposed columns or pillars 24 is a circular plate 25, upon which are mounted the filling heads :12, before referred to, and p which heads as shown more clearly in Figs. Sand 7 comprise an upper member 26 secured to plate 25 and having a cavity 27 formed therein, to which opens a second cavity or channel 28 formed within a lower member 29. Y

Secured to the under surface of the lower member 29 is an annular flared body 30, between the inner surface of which and the under surface of member 29 is a ring 31of rubber or. other material 'designed to seal the mouth of the bottle when same is pressed against it, as shown in Fig. 6. Projecting into the mouth of the bottle is a tube 32 communicating at its upper end with the aforesaid cavity 27 of the upper member 26, which. cavity is in communication by means of a pipe 33 with a closed liquid supply tank or reservoir 34? mounted upon tab e 4 and to whichliquid is supplied through.

the tube 35. 36 indicates a tube also passing into the mouth of the bottle whereby, as will be presently explained, the bottle is evacuated. 37 indicates a tube having a choke bore always open to the atmosphere, and whereby a small quantity of air is constantly admitted to the upper end of the bottle.

Mounted upon the circular plate by means of the centrally disposed column 38 is a closed chamber or interceptor 39, to the upper end of which is connected a pipe 40 in its turn connected to suitable exhausting means whereby the chamber may be evacuated. Also connected to the chamber 39 are pipes 41 each connected to one of the aforesaid pipes 36.

The extent to which the bottle fills is regulat'ed by the extent to which the tubes 32 and 36 project'into the mouth of said bottle.

' The liquid when the bottle is filled is drawn up the pipe 41 and discharged into the interceptor through pipe41, the incoming'air mixing with the liquid aerating and lightening same so that it rises above the level of the liquid in the interceptor.

The return of he liquid to the supply is effected through pipe 42, the degree of vacuum being so regulated that it can just draw a column of liquid up to or about up to the level of the bottom of the interceptor but -no further. Consequently any liquid dis- [charged from the vacuum pipe into the ingravity alone while said receptacle prises a base plate 44 mounted upon legs or supports 45, and having attached thereto avertically disposed tube 46 passing through said plate 44 and provided at its lower end with a piston 47 conveniently in-the form of a cup leather.

I Pivotally mounted at one end to a convenient portion of the support for the base plate is a foot lever 48 to which'is secured one end ofwire, cord or other flexible bodies 49 passing over a suitable guide pulley 50,

v, and at their other ends connected at'diametrically opposite points to a body 51 perforated to permit the free passage of a vert1cally disposed rod 52. The upper end of the rod 52 has connected to it and supports a vertically disposed cylinder 53 containing the aforesaid piston. A spring or other bufier 54 is interposed between the upper surface of the body just referred to and the lower end of the cylinder. The rod attached to the cylinder has upon it a weight 55. v

The filling head indicated generally by 56 is supported by a standard or column 57 upon the upper surface of the base plate 44. A table 58 is provided for presenting the bottles to the filling2head.

The depression of the foot lever 48 will cause the body connected thereto by the cords 49 to be raised and contact with the lower end of the cylinder 53 raising same and expelling air from beneath the piston. Upon the release of the pedal the lever returns to its initial position leaving the cylinder to be drawn down by the weight 55 acting thereon, and air will be drawn.

through the tubular piston rod 46, which is connected to the interceptor from the bottle into the cylinder 53.

In order to present the bottle to thefilling head the support 58 is provided with a rod, which rod is suitably guided in the base plate 44, and at its lower end is provided with an offset portion 56 perforated for the passage of the cords 49. The cords at 49 have secured to them collars 58 betweenwhich and the under surface of the part 56 are interposed springsv59.

When the pedal is depressed thesupport 58 moves downwards permitting the bottle to be placed thereon. When the pedal is free it is drawn upwards. compressing springs 59 and lifting the bottle into the filling position, where it is maintained during the slow downward travel of the cylinder 53.

The head 56 (Fig. 8) is substantially identical with the head X (Fig. 2) and liquid is drawn thereto through the pipe 63 from the tank 64 in which the liquid level 65 is maintained by the automatic valve 66. The suction for thus drawing the liquid is supplied through the tube 67 from the interceptor 68. The parts 70, 46, 63, 64, 67, 68 and 69 correspond in function to parts 37, 40, 33, 34, 41, 39 and 42 of Fig. 2.

Wh1le the invention is shown herein as embodied in a power operated machine. and a foot operated machine, as distinguished from a hand operated machine, the invention is not thus limited.

The operation of the apparatus of Figs.

time, and there is no difliculty in maintaining constant suction.

The liquid is supplied through'the tube 35 at a head sufiicient to raise the liquid to a convenient level lower than that of the mouth of the bottle to be filled. The suction through the pipe 40 is suflicient to raise the liquid in the. pipe 42 to the bottom of the interceptor 39; and when the bottle is raised and pressed against the filling head, the suction draws the liquid into the bottle until the liquid closes the tube 36, whereupon the liquid will 'be drawn up the tube 36,

41. As the liquid will be aerated, by air throughihe tube 37, and thereby lightened, it will be-dra-wn into the interceptor so long as the bottle is held raised, the liquid level in the interceptor sinking to its normal level ered at a time, for replacement by a bottle to be filled, the amount of air sucked into the ble, since the suction means is suitably enough to take care of this leakage.

system through the small tube 36 is negligiarge The-operation of the apparatus of Fig. 8 is obvious and easily understood from the foregoing. n

I claim:

1. Means for filling receptacles with liquid comprising means 'for closing the receptacle, a liquid supply means connected to said closing means, means foncontinuously admitting a small" quantity of air to said 1 closing means, a closed overflow rece tacle arranged at a level above that of theiquid supply, means whereby said overflow receptacle may be evacuatedfa connection. between said overflow receptacle and the closing means, an unobstructed connection between said overflow and said supply whereby an unobstructed and continuous flow ofliquid from said overflow receptacle to said supply is secured.

2. Means for'filling rece tacles with liquid comprising means for c osing the receptacle, a liquid supply means connected to said closing means, means for continuously admitting a small quantity of air to said closing means, a closed overflow receptacle arranged at a level-above that of the liquid supply, means whereby said overflow receptacle may be evacuated, a connection between said overflow receptacle and the clos ing means, an unobstructed connection between said overflowand said supply whereby an unobstructed and continuousv flow of liquid from said overflow receptacle to said supply is secured, and means for regulating receptacle and terminating at a point approximately level with that oft-he first pipe, a liquid supply means for supplying liquid at a level lower than that of the receptacle, a connection between said first pipe and said liquid supply, an overflow receptacle at a level above that of the'liquid supply, a connection between said overflow receptacle and said third pipe, means whereby said overflow receptacle may be evacuated, and an unobstructed' pipe connecting said overflow with said liquid supply whereby an unobstructed and continuous flow of liquid from. said overflow to said supply is secured.

4. Means for filling receptacles with liquid comprising means for closing the receptacle, a pipe upon said closing means projecting into said receptacle, a pipe continu ously admitting a small quantity of air to said receptacle when closed, a third pipe upon said closing means projecting into said receptacle and terminating at a point approximately level with that of the first pipe, a liquid supply means for supplying liquid at a level lower than that of the receptacle, a connection between said first pipe and said liquid supply, an overflow receptacle at a level above that of the liquid supply, a conmotion between said overflow receptacle and said third pipe, means whereby said overflow receptacle maybe evacuated, and an unobstructed pipe connecting said overflow With said liquid supply whereby an unobstructedand continuous flow of liquid from said overflow to said supply is secured, and

means for regulating the degree of vacuum in said overflow receptacle.

5. Apparatus for filling receptacles with liquid comprising a table, means for rotating said table, filling heads supported from said table, means upon said table for pre senting the receptacles to said heads, a liquid supply means upon said table, connections between said heads and said supply, means upon said heads for continuously admitting a small quantity of air to said receptacles, an overflow receptacle supported from said table and arranged at a level above that of the supply, means whereby said overflow receptacle may be evacuated, and an unobstructed connection between said overflow receptacle and saidsupply whereby an un- III III

obstructed and continuous flow of liquid from said overflow receptacle to said supply is secured.

6. Apparatus for filling receptacles with liquid comprising meansfor closing the receptacle, said closing means embodying a tube for supplying liquid to said receptacle, a tube for evacuating said receptacle and a tube for continuously admitting a small quantity of air to said receptacle, a liquid :supply means for supplying liquid at'a level below that of the receptacle to be filled, a connection between said liquid supply and In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HERBERT FREDERICK BROADHURST. 

